ASYMPTOTIC ANALYSIS OF A STAR CRACK WITH A CENTRAL HOLE

The problem of determining the stress-strain distribution of a pressur ized star crack with a central hole, using plane strain linear elastic ity theory, is considered in the limit of a large number of cracks. Th e solution is found using singular perturbation analysis with a number of different solution regions being matched together. This work exten ds existing analyses on star cracks and gives analytical results relat ing crack length to the pressure distribution and the physical stress intensity factor of the material.